


Just Like Me

by jackscrutchie



Category: Raven Cycle - Maggie Stiefvater
Genre: Comfort, Fluff, Gen, Kindness, abuse mention, adam is a good kid, implied pynch, pynch - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-14
Updated: 2017-05-14
Packaged: 2018-10-31 20:40:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,551
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10907085
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jackscrutchie/pseuds/jackscrutchie
Summary: Adam goes grocery shopping and bumps into a kid that reminds me of someone.





	Just Like Me

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this a long time ago and just found it. Since I've been transferring most of my fics here, I figured -- Why not!  
> I don't just write Newsies shit.......

Adam Parrish wasn’t anything special. At least, he didn’t consider himself as such. Sure he had good grades, but he was nothing compared to the company he chose to keep. He didn’t have a nice car, or a nice phone. He didn’t have a nice place to live and all but a few pieces of his clothing had come from second-hand stores. No, Adam Parrish wasn’t worth much, but at least he knew that.

His friends had everything – But that comes with associating oneself with other Raven Boys. Many of the other students from Aglionby managed to buy their way in. For Adam – it was all hard work and the partial scholarship he had earned. He could be, should be proud that he had fought his way in. Not only that, but he’s fought his way to the top of his classes and he meant to keep it that way. Though, now that so many things had changed, he felt his determination slip. He was beginning to feel hopeless, worn down to a broken shell.

The small amount of money he had was dwindling. Bills, gas, rent, tuition… His bank account was taking blow after blow. He was working longer hours, picking up extra shifts… But as soon as his wallet would fill, it was empty again. It was times like these when he thought too much. His mind screamed at him, begging for sleep, a decent meal, warmth, love. Yes, at times like this – His arms ached for the embrace of another. His hands cried for fingers to lace with his own, his lips tingled with the need to touch…

How many times had he told himself not to think of such a thing? He was unknowable. He wasn’t anyone worthy of winning a heart. He certainly didn’t have anyone in mind when his mind did wander… No. Certainly not. Though, he felt it wander then. The person that always came to his mind was a little ( extremely ) rough around the edges but despite that, he’d grown… Fond( ? ) of them. He shook his head. He needed to stop thinking about the smirk, the scowl and he certainly needed to stop thinking about his desire to hold their hand.

Today though, after he had taken care of the bills and rent – There was actually seventeen dollars left. Seventeen! He’d smiled and let out a small laugh hoping the rain would hold off long enough for him to get to the grocery store and back. Surely his luck hadn’t quite run dry yet. He tied up his shoe laces, ran out the door into the air, giving his old car a nod. Poor thing was out of gas and food had to come first. The bike would have to do.

The clouds were gray and heavy with rain as he pressed on towards the grocery store. The wind was starting to get a chill to it and he silently scolded himself for not bringing a jacket along. Oh well. If it came down to it, he could stop somewhere to warm up and wait out the rain. Despite it all, he wore a smile. When people waved hello, he’d nod and call out a reply, not trying to hide his accent for once. It had been so long since he’d felt this good and all it took was seventeen extra dollars.

The bike tires screeched to a halt under him at the front of the store. He quickly checked his pockets, making sure his wallet was where it was supposed to be, pulled it out and checked his cash. Five, ten, fifteen – Sixteen, seventeen! It was all there and he felt himself smile again as he put it back –

“Get your ass in there and don’t you dare forget the things I asked for.” The voice was rough and slurred. It was familiar. Adam risked a glance over his shoulder in the voice’s direction. Other people looked too, but quickly turned their heads, ignoring it all. A boy, maybe 13 was climbing out of an old station wagon. His red hair was tangled, almost matted and even from that distance, Adam could see how bloodshot his blue eyes were. He recognized the face the boy wore. He’d seen it in the mirror countless times, staring back at him under bruises and blood.

He’s just like me.

Adam watched as the boy nodded and quickly shut the door, running towards the entrance. He averted his gaze as he passed him and into the store, but saw out of the corner of his eye – Dark black and blue bruises peeking out from under his sleeves. One stretched across his collar-bone, and God forbid, he hand finger shaped bruises around his slender neck. Adam’s stomach churned, his own memories haunting him now. He knew exactly what this poor kid was going through. He knew how he was feeling and knew what would happen if he didn’t do exactly as he was told…

He bit his lip and propped his bike up against the wall trying to shake his mind clear. He took a deep breath in through his nose and let it out, running a hand through his dusty hair. He needed to pick up the pace. He couldn’t let this ruin his day. He glanced once more at the old broken station wagon and met the man’s gaze. He held it for a moment, his own eyes burned with venom and hatred. There were so many words he wanted to shout at him but he knew that it would only make things worse for the scared little boy inside. After what seemed like hours, the man scoffed and spit out the window, breaking the gaze. Adam cocked his head, turned and walked inside, content. Ronan would be proud.

The inside was crowded. People maneuvering around each other with carts and baskets. Kids laughing and running, parents yelling after them. At one point, Adam almost took out a 5 year old with his basket of canned goods. The little girl laughed, simply saying ‘sowwy’ before running off again. He sighed, shaking his head. What would he be like today if he would have been able to run, laugh, and play so freely as a child? Would he still be… This? Would he still be unknowable? Would he still be Adam Parrish? Thoughts clouded his mind, and apparently his vision too because when he turned the corner – BAM.

“Oof!” A soft voice coughed out. It all happened fairly quickly then – The impact, the stumble, and Adam reacted fast enough to catch the arm of the red haired boy to keep him from falling over. “I - I’m so… So sorry.” His voice was muted, like he was speaking into a pillow, shaking with each word. Adam recognized the boy’s voice. He had heard it in his own head…

“Hey, it’s alright.” His accent clipped the end. “I’m fine.” He smiled, trying to reassure the poor kid. It had been his own fault anyway. “I should have been paying more attention.” He said it because it was true.

“No - I was rushing and I -” He was fidgeting, looking everywhere but Adam’s face. His hands clenched the handle of his basket so tight, his knuckles turned white. He was biting his lip, swallowing between raspy breaths.

“Hey are…” He knew he shouldn’t ask. He knew exactly what he would have said, because he had said it so often. Though, he couldn’t leave it alone. “Are you alright?” Gently, he told himself. He didn’t want to make the kid panic.

“Yes, I - I’m fine.”

Liar. Adam sighed inwardly. At least now he knew how his friends felt every time he had said he was okay when he really wasn’t. “Well… Okay then. But if…” What was he doing? He didn’t know this kid. He could be completely wrong about his situation ( though he doubted it. ) “If you ever need… Help…” He stopped to lean down, trying to meet the boy’s gaze. “I’m Adam Parrish. I live at St. Agnes so if you, ya know, ever need somewhere to go…” He sounded like a creep now but – Even though he never wanted it, knowing that Gansey’s door was always open… It helped. He knew that he had options…

The boy blinked, clearly confused, but nodded gently. “I’m – I’m Hunter.” He looked away again, his grip on the basket loosening a bit. “Thank you, Adam.”

That’s all he needed. It’s all he wanted. Just to know that this kid knew he had options. He needed this boy – Hunter – To know that if he could get out, so could he. Adam smiled a bit, and reached back to rub at the back of his neck. “Just – Don’t give up, okay? It’ll get better.” He hoped he understood now.

And he did. Hunter’s eyes brightened a little, and his lips curved up just barely. “I – Right.”

Adam nodded once, and gave a small wave. “I’ll see you around.” He took one step, two, three steps back and turned down an aisle, leaving the boy to his thoughts. He’d done the right thing. Even if he never saw Hunter again, he’d leave tonight knowing that he tried to give someone hope.

—–

It didn’t take him long to gather the rest of his groceries. It was bread, lunch meat and cereal. More ramen and a big bag of chips. A coke and a candy bar. It wasn’t much, but it was good enough for Adam Parrish. I mean, he actually got some name brand stuff this time! It was the little things in life at this point. He smiled and added up the cost in his head – If he calculated correctly, the total should be just under seventeen dollars. Worst case scenario, he could put the candy bar back.

“I’m sorry – The card was denied…”

Adam leaned forward to look at the cashier. Three people were ahead of him, but he didn’t have to think twice before knowing… Oh.   
“I could try to run it again. Sometimes this reader doesn’t like certain cards, you know?” The woman was trying to be sympathetic. Adam’s heart convulsed. He could almost sense the tears swelling up in Hunter’s eyes. What kind of punishment would he get because of this? Would he be able to go to school tomorrow? Would he be able to get up tomorrow? Would he open his eyes? He swallowed back the bile in his throat and set his basket down.

Four steps was all it took for him to reach the front of the line. “Oh, I’m sorry. I must have given him the wrong card.” He was surprised at how steady his voice was as he grabbed the card from the cashier’s hand and stuck it back in Hunter’s. He could feel the boy’s bloodshot eyes on him, shocked and confused as he pushed in front of him, blocking him from the cashier’s view. “How much is it?”

“Uh,” she looked as confused as Hunter did. “$15.76, sir.”

Of course. Adam felt his stomach drop as him mind screamed at him, 'What the hell are you doing?!’ But he smiled, pulled his cash out and handed all but a dollar of it to the woman. “Sorry about that.” He let his accent draw out the vowels as he waited for the change, his hand outstretched. His mind and vision spun.

“Your change.” She said with a smile, happy to send him on his way.   
“Thanks, ma'am. Have a good one.” He nodded and grabbed the bags and walked, nodding Hunter along. The boy hesitated for a moment before padding off after Adam. “Take these and don’t mention anything to him.”

“But I –”

“Don’t.” Adam held the bags out to the boy and smiled a bit. “Just – Take care of yourself.” He couldn’t figure out what else he could say. What had he wanted to hear? “You’re going to grow up strong and he won’t be able to touch you. Don’t be afraid to stand up for yourself. I was and –” He shook his head. “Don’t be scared to ask for help…” He ruffled the boy’s hair and gave an encouraging smile. “Remember what I told you earlier. St. Agnes. If you ever,” he looked straight into Hunter’s scared blue eyes, “ever need help…”

Hunter seemed to contemplate all of this. He eyes wandered towards the large windows at the front of the store and nodded slowly. “I – Okay. Thank you.” He tilted his head up, his eyes a tad misty with tears. He said it again, softly this time. “Thank you.”

Adam didn’t know what else he could do. There was nothing left to say except – “See you later.” He waved and turned his back to the boy, silently telling himself that he’d be okay – That he’d make it out just as he himself had and hopefully, make it out better off. Now his problem was… He pulled out his wallet and opened it. Aside from a one dollar bill, empty. Not once did he regret what he had done. In fact, he felt quite good about it. He looked up to the gray sky and took a deep breath. He could smell the rain about to break through the clouds as the wind picked up. He took a step forward and was promptly shoved from behind. Not enough to push him over, but enough to make him stumble. “Hey! Watch where you’re –” He spun around.

Ronan Lynch smirked down at him, his brow arched and his lips curled into a sly grin. “Yeah?”

Adam regained his composure and sighed. “Was that entirely necessary?”

“Entirely.” Ronan shrugged, three grocery bags in his hands.

“You know, most people just say hello. Or tap you on the shoulder. Something civilized.”

“What does civilized mean?” He grinned his Ronan Lynch grin.

Adam couldn’t stop his own, shaking his head. “Alright fine. You win.” His mind wandered. Would it be okay if he just – No.

“Put your bike in my car. I’ll drive you home.” As if on cue, the rain began to fall. “And,” he pressed the bags not gently against Adam’s chest. “Take them and don’t say a damn word.”

Adam fumbled for a moment, trying to make sure he had hold of everything. He glanced down into each bag only briefly. A coke and a candy bar, a big bag of chips, bread, ramen, cereal… It was everything he had left behind. Of course it was. He didn’t move, didn’t look up, didn’t breathe – Because…

“You coming, Parrish?” Ronan was already putting Adam’s bike in the back of his car when he pulled himself out of his mind. “I’m leaving your broke ass if you don’t get over here.”

“Y – Yeah, sorry.” He ran after him, bags clenched tight in his hands. His head still swam with thoughts of Hunter and what had taken place immediately after. He didn’t say anything to Ronan about the groceries because he had told him not to. He couldn’t turn them away when he had just made that boy take his money. Even on their way back to St. Agnes as the rain hit the windshield in sheets, he couldn’t find his voice because –

Because for a brief moment he let himself be in love with Ronan Lynch.


End file.
